Re[2]: [at-l] health care

[bullard@northnet.org (James Bullard)]

At 09:38 PM 8/5/01 -0400, Bob Cummings wrote:
>"...When 30% have poor/no health care it can really ruin the
>overall average for any measure of health care in a country."
>
>Which is precisely where the system fails. The wealthy have the best 
>health care in the world. The
>very poor tend to do okay. The losers are ordinary people earning $15,000, 
>$20,000 maybe $30,000 in
>income with families to support and no insurance or inadequate insurance. 
>In Maine now such families
>can't buy insurance, even if they can afford it. Almost no companies are 
>selling new policies to
>individuals and families that aren't part of a group plan.
>
>My wife spent six months in the hospital a year or so ago. Her total bill 
>came to around $800,000.
>We were lucky. We had a good medical plan -- though it costs me a third of 
>my pension income each month.
>But it paid her total costs after a few fights with the insurer.
>
>Weary

FWIW:  I support the idea of a National Health Insurance system.  When I 
look at the paperwork that is involved with getting payment from 2 insurers 
(my plan and my wife's plan) I wonder if having a single payer system 
wouldn't save enough on the bureaucracy to cover everyone.  I wonder if 
anyone ever studied it from that angle?  Tuckerizing health insurance anyone?

sAunTerer